False Claims of Religious Persecution

In a June 3, 2008, newspaper article, The Canadian Press quoted Winston Blackmore, the polygamist sect leader of the Bountiful community as crying "religious persecution" over Attorney General Wally Oppal’s appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate possible polygamy related criminal offenses in Bountiful. Blackmore’s group is an offshoot of the infamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) that has a history of compulsory marriages with underage girls. According to Beth Cook, a former plural wife of convicted child rapist, Tom Green, she was married at age 12, her sister at age ...

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A response to Mahonri:

Either I didn’t make myself clear or your acrobatic semantics is designed to confuse the issues - either way I am no more a fan of "political correctness" than you seem to be.

You are correct when you say the Utah Territorial government was corrupt but you neglected to say that Brigham Young was the Territorial Governor - and the impetus behind the corruption.

Thanks for plugging my soon to be published Mormon Polygamy, A Virus of the Mind. I will anticipate and welcome your review because you are in for a surprise. I provide clear ...

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Mr. Llewellyn,

Thank you for the opportunity to address your readers via your blog.

 Your essay "Why should Mormon Polygamy be respected as a sincere belief?"  is a good example of “prejudicial writing”, a well known technique among politicians and their “spin doctors”. Prejudicial writing attempts to “convince” the public into accepting what the writer says without critical thought. In other words, it presumes the public is so gullible the writer’s persuasive comments will be acceptable with impunity as to accuracy or truth.

In this essay, your main theme, while seeming to be an attack upon the Mormon Fundamentalist doctrine of plural marriage, is in reality a call for acceptance of the “political correctness” of modern America’s secular culture.

In quoting Abraham Lincoln, you use a comment he made while he was campaigning, and like all political animals, comments are made to appeal to as may voters as possible. Mr. Lincoln knew his comments about slavery would lose him almost the entire Southern vote and many of the “radical Republican” or “Copperheads”; he needed a “counter balancing” issue that would be acceptable to the vast majority of the American Electorate. The issue he chose was polygamy!

As a scholar of this time in American history, I assume you are well aware, the Utah Territorial government was “corrupt” and its policy of Mormon persecution in full swing. Additionally, apostate Mormon’s such as T. B. H. and Fanny Stenhouse (with others) actively pursued the destruction of the Mormon culture, in the case of Stenhouse because Brigham Young rejected the Stenhouse (Godbeites) economic vision for the Saints. The combination of internal conflict and government persecution led to the greater American perception that the Mormon’s were in rebellion and the easiest proof was the practice of plural marriage. Even the New York Times urged the government to leave the Mormons alone.

 In tying the practice of Aztec human sacrifice as inimical to an “enlightened society”, you make the case AGAINST political correctness. The anthropologists who identify pagan religion as “repulsive’” do so from a position of hindsight and the ethno-central belief that THEIR society is “enlightened” while the ancient societies which believed in  religiously strange practices (to us) thought they lived in an age of ENLIGHTMENT. Thus, these societies persecuted and destroyed any religio-cultural opposition. An excellent example is the “crusade” of the Catholic Church against the Cathars in Southern France.

 Since time immemorial, a certain class of women has been willing to “share” a man for a variety of reasons. Call it prostitution, voluntary concubinage, being a mistress or plain polygamy; it is the way of men and women to share sexual affections with more than one partner. Contrary to your assertion, most of these liaisons have been for the mutual benefit of the parties involved.

I believe modern law enforcement call these women “badge bunnies”. You know how successful these women are at initiating “immoral sexual liaisons with married law enforcement officers. At least Mormon fundamentalists attempt to live their strongly held beliefs in a climate of permanent love and respect.

Again you buy into the “political correctness” of the modern age by asserting that women “All through history women have been manipulated, bought and sold, raped, and both physically and mentally abused by men. Mormon polygamy is just another step in a continuing episode.” This is not to say there are not abuses within marital or sexual relationships but the degree to which you ascribe blame to Mormon polygamy is false history. This is a modern feminist legend which has driven the agenda of “political correctness” and is actively trying to destroy a culture of different beliefs. How sad that you, a self proclaimed “iconoclast” make an “icon” of the feminist agenda.

Mormon polygamy should be considered a “sincere religious belief” for one reason; it is! All the rhetoric to the contrary, all the blame on the priesthood, all the “hand wringing and “oh my, the sky is falling” about the women in Celestial marriage will not alter the fact; Celestial marriage will not go away. Women will find it to their advantage to share husbands. The greater society is better served by eliminating commercial sex and accepting Celestial marriage as a valid and reasonable alternative.

In this way if women and children are abused their willingness to seek protection in the greater society will be an available option. At least we seem to agree on this point.

I look forward to reading your newest book “Mormon Polygamy, Virus of the Mind”. I urge you to remember when you were a “true believer” all was not dark and gloomy as you present today. “True believers” have a right to believe!

Thus it is, Truth will be served,

Mahonri

www.flds.net

        

Mormon Polygamy Often Leads to Atheism

Mormon fundamentalism’s worst enemy is not apostates, the devil, or government but free thought. If you study the Mormon temple endowment Satan is nothing more than a metaphor for free thought. It was Satan who cajoled Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Immediately after taking a bite her mind was opened and she became like unto the gods knowing good and evil.

The Mormons teach that it was necessary to break a lesser law to obey a greater law (an interesting contradiction that is typical of religion) and that greater law is to multiply and replenish the earth. In that regard Eve ought to be eulogized as a heroine but instead she has been oppressed by Mormons and Christians alike.

The Christians have persecuted women because Eve allegedly introduced sin into the world. Mormon fundamentalists oppress women because their doctrines (D&C Section 132) indicate god wants it that way. All of these religious sentiments are of course hokum - nevertheless it was an excuse to retard the woman’s mind and confine her to the kitchen.

Religion can be both dictatorial and tyrannical. There is an adage among Mormons that says, "Once the Brethren have spoken the thinking has been done." The authoritarian religions like Catholicism, Islam and Mormonism would like you to think they are infallible and that eternal life can only be obtained through them. To reject their authority usually results in damnation, ostracization and in some cases even death.

Religious cults isolate themselves from mainstream society so they can control information. The more isolated the more bizarre the behavior as exemplified by the FLDS. For those who are converted to Mormon fundamentalism, once the novelty of having two or more wives wears off a man is apt to start thinking - and wondering - if all this crap is really true?

Questions come to mind, but the convert can’t go to his leaders for answers because to ask questions, the answers of which might call into question sacred beliefs, is taboo. So he seeks out answers in secrete and as the facts conflict with the so-called religious truths, he prepares for the day he will exit the cult - not an easy thing.

Some irresponsible men simply walk away leaving their family behind. More responsible men try to take their family with them.

What are some of the questions that lead to apostasy?

1. How come there is no archeological or genetic evidence that supports the Book of Mormon?

2. If polygamy is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and is essential for exaltation, why does the historical record reveal that the early Christians equated both polygamy and incest as abominations?

3. A man can be a liar, thief and womanizer and because he received his endowment and priesthood blessings, will go to the celestial kingdom where as men like Abraham Lincoln, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who have done so much for mankind will be relegated to a lesser kingdom?

4. Which god is really God - the Muslim god, Baptist god, Catholic god, Jewish god, Mormon god, and so on....?

5. The pretense of infallibility? Many polygamist leaders are dishonest, compulsive liars, play favorites and grant special privileges for money. For example, a man who donates much may be rewarded with more wives and a high priesthood office. He may seat on the stand with the prophet and priesthood elite who pretend to control the salvation of the envious and on-lookers.

A significant proportion of men and women exiting Mormon fundamentalism are so disgusted with the deception, lying, wife and child abuse, crime and corruption that they no longer trust or want anything to do with organized religion.

 

 

        

Texas handling of YFZ children disputed

An opinion defending Texas

Could Texas have acted in a more humane manner rather than separating children from their mothers? In other words, should Texas have left the children and mothers on the ranch and taken all the men into custody? That’s what many pundits are arguing

To take into custody, is to arrest - but before an arrest is lawful their must be probable cause to believe that the person arrested committed a specified crime. The crimes in this case are child rape and unlawful sex acts with a minor. Observing underage pregnant girls is not enough probable cause to round up all the men even though we suspect they are all morally culpable. A specific man must be connected with a specific victim in place and time.

It has been reported that many of the children don’t know who there mother is, let alone their father, and those that do aren’t talking. If that is true then the Texas authorities did the only thing they could do and that was take all the children into custody.

The priesthood predators in the FLDS are counting on the emotional trauma caused by separating children from mothers to distract from their sex crimes. When they say they are only obeying god’s laws, they are as guiltless as the Nazis at Nuremberg who said they were only following orders. Warren Jeffs is their god. He is their prophet, teacher and driving force behind FLDS, Mormon polygamist behavior, just as Brigham Young was the prophet, teacher and driving force behind Nineteenth Century Mormon polygamy, which by the way was no better. It is the FLDS priesthood who for years has been violating the civil rights of the mothers and children - accusing Texas of violating their civil rights just won’t fly.

If the women and children were allowed to remain on the ranch with the men while the Texas authorities attempted to sort things out, it would create a much larger legal mess than the mess that now exists.

We all grieve when children are taken from their mothers but in this case, what other incentive is there for these unscrupulous men to discontinue sex with children? They are pedophiles who use Jesus Christ as an excuse to deflower little girls. Are these men so depraved that they can’t restrain themselves until the girls at least reach age 18? To say their behavior is a "sincere religious belief" is to give pedophilia respect.

These priesthood pedophiles are to blame leaving the Texas authorities no alternative but to take the present course. Which is the greater injustice, to leave these children in a spurious, sexually abusive environment or to remove the children until they can identify the pedophiles and bring them to justice? Lets see how many of these brave priesthood child abusers have the temerity to step forward and admit that little Sarah was given to him by Warren Jeffs to bring forth a "righteous seed" and that she had no say or choice in the matter.

What is a "righteous seed?" It is the offspring of a Mormon plural marriage. In the FLDS the intent is for the son to grow up like his father - the girl to be a submissive "priesthood brood mare."

        

Why should Mormon Polygamy be respected as a "sincere religious belief?"

The Aztec religion resorted to human sacrifice to appease their gods. Anthropologists have identified other pagan religions that are just as repulsive to an enlightened culture. Should these cultures be revived for the sake of preserving a culture?

I am no prude, if two or more women want to consort with the same man - have at it. But to hoodwink women into thinking that Jesus Christ of the New Testament glorifies in the suppression of women, and glorifies in coerced intercourse with pubescent girls, is ludicrous.

Abe Lincoln had it right when he said "slavery and polygamy are the twin relics of barbarism."

In order for Mormon polygamy to work in this age of enlightenment women must be inculcated with the false notion that her submission is dependent upon the power and good will of the priesthood and husband. She must be convinced that other religions, apostates, gentiles and evolutionists are tools of the devil and will corrupt her. Her mind and body must be isolated from mainstream society as much as possible. (That is to say her mind must be isolated from the truth.) Teach only those things that will make her obedient to the prophet, priesthood and her husband. In order to receive plural wives the husband must be obedient to the prophet and priesthood. (That means tribute, donating lots of money to the prophet and priesthood.)

Compare the Jesus Christ in D&C, Section 132, (the plural marriage revelation), with the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. Is their congruence? Of course not. Can you imagine Jesus Christ during the Sermon on the Mount telling monogamous wives that if they oppose their husbands taking plural wives they will be transgressors, and be destroyed? (See D&C, Section 132, Verses 64 and 65)

It is unnatural for a woman to want to share her husband and her assets with other women except for reasons of security. That is what Section 132 is about - fear and security. All through history women have been manipulated, bought and sold, raped, and both physically and mentally abused by men. Mormon polygamy is just another step in a continuing episode.

Joseph Smith and Brigham Young are responsible for one of the dirtiest tricks ever played on women. This fact will be born out in my next book, Mormon Polygamy, Virus of the Mind.

        

    Welcome to Polygamy Books.  If you are interested in Mormon history, Mormon polygamy, polygamy in the past, and the history that is being made in the present, then you have clicked on to the right blog.

    My name is John R. Llewellyn and the author of four books about Mormon polygamy.  In the year 2000,when my first book, Murder of a Prophet, The Dark Side of Utah Polygamy, was published, I had no idea where it would take me.  Since then I have appeared as an expert on numerous national television news shows, many national radio talk shows including South America, ...<< MORE >>